7-foot transfer will visit

Monday

Mar 31, 2014 at 12:01 AMMar 31, 2014 at 3:03 AM

Trevor Thompson, a 7-foot freshman at Virginia Tech who will transfer after this semester, will visit Ohio State in two weeks, his father said today after Thompson and his parents met with coach Thad Matta and assistant Jeff Boals in Florida, where the family is on spring break.

The Thompsons also met this weekend with coaches from Indiana, Purdue and Butler.

Thompson's father, Ryan, who played major league baseball for nine seasons and six different teams -- and for the Columbus Clippers for two months in 2000 -- said more than 20 teams have expressed interest in his son but that Trevor is limiting his options to the four because he wants to play nearer the family's Indianapolis home.

But all four schools might not receive visits.

Trevor Thompson, a 7-foot freshman at Virginia Tech who will transfer after this semester, will visit Ohio State in two weeks, his father said today after Thompson and his parents met with coach Thad Matta and assistant Jeff Boals in Florida, where the family is on spring break.

The Thompsons also met this weekend with coaches from Indiana, Purdue and Butler.

Thompson's father, Ryan, who played major league baseball for nine seasons and six different teams -- and for the Columbus Clippers for two months in 2000 -- said more than 20 teams have expressed interest in his son but that Trevor is limiting his options to the four because he wants to play nearer the family's Indianapolis home.

But all four schools might not receive visits.

"We might take all four, but I doubt it," Ryan Thompson said. "We'll probably take two or three."

Ohio State will get the first visit the weekend of April 11-13, Ryan Thompson said. No visits are permitted next weekend because it is during an April 3-10 "dead period" for recruiting mandated by the NCAA.

Ryan Thompson did not rule out the possibility of Trevor making a commitment to the Buckeyes without visiting another school, as 6-9 Temple transfer Anthony Lee did yesterday after a two-day visit to Ohio State.

"Thad was awesome" during the visit today, Ryan Thompson said. "We're very serious about Ohio State. Ohio State is Ohio State."

Lee, who will graduate from Temple in May, will be eligible immediately for his final season of eligibility.

Thompson will have to sit out a year and have three years of eligibility remaining beginning with the 2015-16 season. He and incoming freshman Dave Bell would be the only big men on the roster after the departure of Lee, Amir Williams and Trey McDonald.

Trevor Thompson's decision "is not just about being close to Indy," his father said. "It's about the best institution to allow Trevor to progress and be the best student-athlete he can be. It has to be a relationship between him and the head coach.

"Trevor's very intuitive. He's a smart kid. He knows when someone cares about him and has his best interests at heart."

Thompson said the family has central Ohio ties. A niece graduated from Ohio State and works here, as does a former minor league teammate who is Trevor's godfather.

Thompson said the Buckeyes did not recruit his son at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis or during a post-graduate year at St. John's Northwestern Military Academy in Wisconsin.

Trevor Thompson averaged 5 points and 4.7 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game for the Hokies last season and started 11 of their 30 games.

"He's always been a kid who was overlooked, so he plays with a chip on his shoulder, which is good," Ryan Thompson said.

"I've always said Trevor was a true late-bloomer. You'd see promise at times, but he wasn't quite ready maturity-wise or physically. When he came out of prep school and went to Virginia Tech, it was a great opportunity for him to play in the (Atlantic Coast Conference) and get playing time as a freshman. Once he got playing time, the sky was the limit.

"I told Trevor that when he gets in the right system with the right coach, and grows, he's going to be a special kid. Thad said the same thing. For him to have an interest in my kid, it's an honor."

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